It warms my Chicago-filled heart to wake up to this at my MSP hotel this morning:
Bear Down!
Traveling With Myself
Advice and more from the road
Author Archives: travelinwithmyself
Breakfast Club
Full disclosure: Chicago is my favorite city and the food is definitely part of that. I don’t make it there nearly as much as I’d like to so I’m always torn between going to old favorites or trying new places. Last weekend was a new place, the new-ishly opened Kanela Breakfast Club in Old Town. As someone who swears by The Bongo Room, I love a breakfast that can double as a dessert. I promise a review on that later.
For now, Kanela. First, the most important thing to know going in: it is BYOB. There’s a liquor store across the street and a Walgreen’s a few doors down (Chicago side note: Walgreens and CVS have full liquor selections) so you can pick up on your way or while you wait.
Now, the food. I was won over when I saw Chocolate Bacon Bourbon Waffles. They were as good as they look. And who doesn’t love chocolate bacon? There are waffle and French toast flights so you can try a bit of everything. One of my dining companions had the Red Velvet French Toast. It was amazingly decadent and too rich to finish. We also had a side of pork belly and grits. It was a perfect fat kids brunch.
If you are healthier than us, they offer fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies and have both vegan and gluten-free options.
Hidden Gems
August is off to a beautiful and low-humidity start in our nation’s capitol. It’s the perfect time to spend a little time outdoors. While tourists flock to the Mall, it’s nice to have a space where DC residents can escape the crowds and soak up some sun.
Most DC residents know it as Malcolm X Park, but due to the President Buchanan Memorial, it cannot officially be named after another individual so Meridian Hill it remains.
Half Moon Bay
If you ever find yourself in the Bay Area, it’s worth the drive to Half Moon Bay. The 60 degree weather was a welcome respite from the heat wave scorching the rest of the country and the quaint downtown seems worlds away from the city.
There aren’t a ton of options if you’re looking to belly up to a bar, but Sam Benito on Main (which also hosts a guest house and full restaurant) was my pick for the day. Between the house-cured meat and 20 beers on tap, I’d be a happy girl. But the hospitality of Walter the bartender made this a must return spot. The beer was pricier than I expected (around $7/pint) but the homemade pizza was only $3.25 and the locals made us feel welcome.
Worth It
A lot of people ask how I can travel as much as I do. Sometimes, it really sucks. And then I have a work trip that takes me to Montana and I can sneak in a Sunday hike. Suddenly it seems worth it.
Cleanliness is next to…
Turns out, this is not the sign of a clean bathroom.
Because Dessert Should Look as Good as it Tastes
The nation’s capitol is sweeter than ever. Meet Co Co. Sala, a restaurant devoted to chocolate. Seriously.
They take chocolate so seriously that they offer multi-course dessert experience. And chocolate drinks. And more chocolate.
Here’s the “Chocolate Onyx,” a taste explosion of dark chocolate, salted caramel, and brownie with sides of dark chocolate sorbet and a toffee bonbon.
And if you need a little more than something sweet, be sure to grab the lamb sliders. Bigger than bite-size, flavored with curry and coconut and complimented with potatoes and a lime yogurt that works to bring out every possible flavor.
Do yourself a favor and check it out next time you’re in DC.
Humor Interlude…Bathroom Style
Your laugh of the day brought to you by clever bathroom graffiti.
Mile High Clubbing
Virgin Airlines already has a decidedly nightclub feel to it, but Sir Richard Branson and those crazy kids at Virgin are here to help you get lucky/annoy the fuck out of your fellow passengers. With the new seat-to-seat delivery feature, you can send a drink to the baby in 21C who won’t stop crying (or more likely, some dude who catches your eye, but let’s face it: that parent/child needs a drink way more).
I rarely fly Virgin and this does not increase the chance that I will any time in the near future, but let’s give them a round of applause for making award pick-ups in bars now a part of airline travel. When they start serving ecstasy and Rohypnol instead of pretzels, the transformation will be complete.
Traveling With Myself 